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Places
of Worship Jama Masjid  One of the Architectural
gift given by Shah Jahan, Jama Masjid is one of the largest mosques not only in
Delhi but in India. Completed in 1658 this Mosque has three gateways, Four angle
towers and two 40 m high minarets. You can enter the mosque but take precaution
to take off your shoes and make sure that you are properly dressed before
entering. One can also go to the top of minarets. From here you can have a birds
eye view of Delhi.
The
Bahai Temple  Completed in 1986, the Bahai
temple is set amidst pools and gardens, and adherents of any faith are free to
visit the temple and pray or meditate silently according to their own religion.
The structure is in lotus shape so it often called the lotus temple. The view of
the temple is very spectacular just before dusk when the temple is flood lit.
Lakshmi
Narayan Temple  This
temple was build by G. D. Birla in 1938. This beautiful temple is located in the
west of Connaught Place. The temple is dedicated to the goddess of prosperity
and good fortune. The temple has well grafted gardens. It is also known as the
Birla Mandir.
Iskon
Temple  Completed in 1998, this is a
complex of temples. Built on a hilly place this temple is dedicated to the Lord
Krishna and was built by the Hare-Rama Hare- Krishna cult followers. This
complex is elegantly build and is one of the largest temple complexes in India.
Currently the main attraction of the temple are the Robort who enact and preach
the Gita.
Chattarpur
Mandir
A complex of temples called Chattarpur mandir is
located beyond the Qutab Minar in Mehrauli. Dedicated to Goddess Durga. Build in
South Indian style the temple complex is spread over a large area with beautiful
lawns and gardens. Though devotees visit these temples through the year, during
the navratras devotees come from near and far. During the festivals there are
special bus services to these temples. Nizam-Ud-Din
Shrine The
tomb of the famous sufi saint Nizam-ud-din Auliya is built on the way from
Humayun's tomb. Inside the premises of the shrine is a tank which is surrounded
by many other tombs. It is said that there was a controversy between the rulers
of Tughlakabad and the saint over building this tank. The saint had said that
the city of Tughlakabad will never flourish and so did it happen. The shrine
also has the tomb of Amir Khusru and the grave of Jahanara, the daughter of Shah
Jahan. It is worth visiting the shrine at around sunset on Thursdays, as it is a
popular time for worship, and qawwali singers start performing after the evening
prayers.
Churches in Delhi
Christians are very less in number as far as population of Delhi is concerned. Embassy and High Commission staff forms the major chunk of Christian population. They are followed by the Mongoloids group from the North-East India. In addition to that there are many Anglo Indians who also form a part of the Christian population of Delhi. Since Lutyens Delhi was the capital of the British India, the area has many beautiful churches. Most of these are Anglican and Protestant, but a number of them are Catholic too.
Cathedral Church of Redemption
Cathedral Church of Redemption is located on Church Road that stands to the west of Parliament House. Moving away from Connaught place, the majestic red piece of the architecture falls to the left. Henry Medd, a young architect par excellence, designed this majestic cathedral that was built between 1927 and 1935. Like most of the European architects of that period, he too belonged to the Lutyens' school. He has left no stone unturned in reflecting the same in the design of this cathedral. He wanted to maintain the harmony and continuity in the design as the church stands in the Lutyens bungalow zone, designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens himself.
Cathedral of The Sacred Heart
Cathedral of the Sacred Heart is located at the Gol Dak Khana near the Connaught place in New Delhi. It is a landmark post office on the roundabout in Delhi. The Cathedral of the Sacred Heart is not only the most important Catholic Church in the capital but arguably one of the best in entire India. Henry Medd who designed the Church of Redemption for the Anglicans designed this church to please the Catholics. His plan was selected among the eight plans put for the consideration before the panel of judges that included the likes of Sir Edwin Lutyens and Father Luke who was the driving force behind the construction of this beautiful cathedral.
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